Botany
A tree with a spreading crown, growing to a height of 15 meters with numerous slender branches. Young tips are copper-collored and covered with hairs. Leaves are leathery, pointed at the tip, blunt or rounded at the base and covered with silky, golden-brown soft hairs. The flowers are purplish-white, small and clustered in the axils of leaves. The fruit is large and rounded, 6 to 10 cm in diameter, shiny and smooth, purplish or light-green skinned, with a translucent whitish or purplish pulp surrounding flatterned seeds about 1 to 1.5 cm long. The flesh is fibrous, sweet, mild and pleasant tasting.,

Chemical constituents and characteristics
Seed contains saponin, pouterin, and a bitter principle (lucumin) and a fixed oil.
Leaves contain an amorphous bitter principle, some alkaloids and no saponin.

Distribution
Cultivated for its edible fruit.

Parts used and preparation
Seeds, leaves, bark, fruit.

Folkloric uses:
Dysentery: Decoction of the bark.
Tonic: Infusion of the bark is tonic and refreshing.
Latex is used for abscesses.
Dried latex used as antihelminthic.
In some countries, the fruit is used for diabetes.
Bitter seed sometimes used as tonic, for diarrhea and fevers.

Availability
Wild-crafted.
Cultivated for its edible fruit.
Seasonal market produce.